


where the love light gleams

by putarrilla



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/putarrilla/pseuds/putarrilla
Summary: ever since leaving, Cat has dreaded the thought of returning to her hometown. its sleepy, never-changing habits seem like torture to her, but what she hates most is the idea of facing up to the woman she left at the altar on her haste to escape Midvale.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Cat Grant
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67
Collections: Super Santa Femslash 2020





	where the love light gleams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Onehellagaykid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehellagaykid/gifts).



> hey, everyone! Onehellagaykid's original prompt was the following: hallmark movie au. Cat returns to her hometown of Midvale after her mother dies and has to confront her past, including the fiancee she left behind. Cue the town's favourite lumberjack/handywoman Kara Danvers getting hurt at seeing the woman who left her at the altar.  
> I certainly tried my best to create something as amazing as the original idea and I hope you all enjoy the finished story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Merry Christmas!

So this is not ideal. Hiding behind a Doritos shelf in a convenience store is really, really, _really_ not ideal. She made sure to come early in the morning, when the store was supposed to be empty, specifically to avoid a situation like this. They should be _working_ , actually, off fixing one appliance or another, not two aisles down, arguing the merits of mint chocolate ice cream over coffee toffee.

Cat is so attuned to the women’s conversation that it makes her completely oblivious to whatever is happening everywhere else, which prevents her from noticing the man approaching.

“What are you doing?” He says, making her jump slightly at the volume.

“The fuck do you think?” She snaps in a whisper.

“You know you can just leave, right?” Snapper puts a funyun in his mouth, smirking, and his loud chewing irks her the same as it did in high school. “Again.” He continues.

For a second, she considers how high the probability of him suing her for assault would be if she stabbed him with his name tag. Deciding it would be very likely, she chooses to tighten her jaw instead.

“ _No_ , _I cannot_. Have to get this for my dad.” Cat motions to the filled basket in her hands.

“So you’re just gonna stay here until they go away?”

“ _Or_ go into the beverage aisle.”

“Seems solid.” Snapper nods. She wants him to disappear, go back to his post behind the counter, but he doesn’t move.

Seriously, she hasn’t been back for one whole day and this town is already getting on her nerves.

Peaking around the corner, she spots them, the younger of the duo thankfully turned away from her. Alex does see her, though, and there’s no hiding the hatred that flashes through the woman’s eyes.

“Alright, fine.” The older Danvers sighs, exasperated. “We’re getting two of the coffee ones, but you’re buying my beer.” Alex returns the pint to the fridge, grabs one beside it, and guides her sister further into the back of the store.

“Finally.” Cat sighs. “C’mon.”

As she rushes towards the register, Snapper drags his feet to follow.

“Step to it.” She turns to him, shout-whispering.

He quirks a brow, stops walking all together.

“I swear to God, I’ll shove the heel of this boot so far up your ass that-”

“Okay, okay, no need for violence.” He chuckles, done messing with her either by the threat in her voice or the desperation in her eyes.

Two minutes later, she’s in the clear, jogging to her car.

Her father better appreciate the damn Gatorades.

_-pleasecomehomeforchristmas-_

“How’s work? More manageable?” Lois leans back against her headboard, cozy as can be. Sometimes Cat wonders how they ever hated each other when they were younger.

“Fine, I guess. I mean, most of the interns are idiots and can barely remember their own names in front of any superior, let alone story details, but the senior reporters are good.”

“And Perry?”

“Volatile at the best of times, but-”

“Brilliant writer, right?”

“Phenomenal.” She nods. “He’s giving me a column starting next year.”

“Wait, what?” Lois smiles. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“You’ve been there for two years, shitbag, getting a whole column so soon is fantastic.” She pushes Cat slightly.

“I suppose.”

Silence lingers for a few seconds and she senses another question coming up. Her friend takes a sip of eggnog.

“Have you… met anyone?”

“I did, but no one who was worthwhile.” She waits a beat, and then another. “Has she?”

“There was a girl from the next town over in the summer, but it ended quite suddenly.”

“Why?”

“No one told me anything precise.” Lois shrugs. “Kara got _Lucy_ in the divorce, not me." She lifts a finger as to correct herself. "No, excuse me, the _break up_. You need to actually go through with the wedding for there to be a divorce.”

Cat groans, annoyed at the constant poking.

“Sorry.” She chuckles. “But anyways, I did notice that they ended it right after your mother’s funeral.”

“Oh.”

“Have you guys talked at all since everything happened?”

“At mom’s funeral, yeah.” Cat sighs. “She was… sweet, helpful, but it’s Kara, so that wasn’t a surprise.”

“Did you talk about… you know…”

“Sort of. I tried to apologize, but she didn't really let me. She said it was fine, and that she was okay and just wanted me to focus on my mother.”

“And you believed her?”

“If I did, would I have hidden from her and Alex at Snapper’s yesterday?”

Lois snorts, managing to control the laughter that follows.

“What are you planning to do, then? There’s no escaping the Danvers', not in this town.”

“Just grind my teeth and get through it, I guess.” Cat sips her own drink. She went a little too heavy with the Brandy, but then again, neither of them are really complaining. “I have a week here and then I’ll be gone. It will be fine.”

“Sure.” Lois doesn’t sound confident.

But Cat had decided on the drive over that she was fine. She was completely and utterly fine. She would face Kara whenever she needed to and she would be pleasant and they would talk as little as possible, which would feel weird and wrong, but it would be fine.

The only reasons she hadn’t done that the day before were the fact that Kara sounded happy, comfortable, and that seeing her smiling had tugged at Cat’s heartstrings in a way she’d forgotten (or convinced herself to forget).

Regardless, she would be fine for the rest of the holidays. She truly, honestly would.

Besides, her father’s pantry is fully stocked and their presents are already wrapped and under the tree. She won’t need to leave the house much.

There’s a charged silence once again.

“What is it?” Cat sighs

“Uhm…” Lois pokes the chipped corner of her mug with the tip of her fingernail. “Remember when you said you owed me for getting you in with Perry?”

Jesus fucking Christ, here it comes.

“Yes?”

“The fundraiser is in two days and I was supposed to go with Clark, but his mom’s sick, which means he won’t be able to make it, so I thought that maybe you-”

“Absolutely not.”

“Please! I just need someone to roll my eyes with.” She sits up, begging.

“Tough shit.” Cat chuckles. “I would literally rather die.”

“Just a couple of hours.”

“In a room full of people who hate my guts for leaving the town’s sweetheart at the altar? No way in hell.”

“It’s for the hospital! You know, the one with sick people who can’t pay for treatment? Also the only one we have access to for fifty miles?”

Cat pinches the bridge of her nose, tired.

“Alright.” She begrudgingly says. “With one condition.”

“There’s always a condition with you.”

“Yeah, and you knew that before you asked.”

“Whatever, what is it?”

“You make sure Kara won’t mind.”

_-pleasecomehomeforchristmas-_

For the most part, people stay away from her. When she was younger, that used to hurt and she didn’t really understand why, but by the time she was in high school, she’d found writing, so everything else stopped mattering.

Of course, now it doesn’t escape her that writing led her to the school’s newspaper and, consequently, to Lois, Lucy and, finally, to Kara.

Today, she’s grateful most people stay away from her. She doesn’t like most people either, but that doesn’t make social gatherings any easier.

She’s been by the bar, sipping a Whiskey neat for forty-five minutes before anyone speaks to her. It just so happens that the person to do so is someone she _really_ likes.

“Did you lose a bet or something?” Is the opening line.

“Uhm, no, why?”

“Seemed like the only reason why you’d be here.”

Cat’s breathing stops for a second, panic flooding her at once.

“Lois said she’d cleared it with you, so I thought it was okay. I can leave-” She places her cup on the bar, standing from the booth.

“No.” Kara lays a hand on her arm, stopping her. “I mean, she did talk to me. It’s fine, Cat.”

“You sure?”

“We’re fine.”

“Okay.” She settles back down.

“I just know you hate these things.” Kara sighs, sitting by her side.

“It’s for the hospital.”

“It’s always been for the hospital.”

And here’s another thing about the very fell people she actually likes: it is very hard to bullshit them.

“The truth is – and I’ll deny this if she finds out – but… she’s the only one left.” Cat shrugs, nodding towards Lois on stage. “So I’m here.”

“And you get free booze, too.” Kara smiles and Cat feels the same tug she had earlier in the week.

“Watered down, by the looks of it, but yeah.”

“You know, she doesn’t have to be the only one left.”

“Kara…”

“No, honestly.” Their gazes meet. Cat can see the strain behind the blue eyes, but she can also see she's trying to mean what she says. “You don’t have to lose your friends just because we didn’t work out.”

“We both know that my losing them has more to do with how we broke up than us breaking up per se.”

“Well, if I can be fine with what happened, then so can they.”

For lack of anything to say, Cat sips her drink.

“How’s… How’s your dad?” Kara asks a few seconds later, voice small.

“He’s all right, more used to living by himself, now.”

“That’s good.”

“He told me you check in on him sometimes.”

“You know I’ve always had a soft spot for him.”

“I do, but thank you.” Cat places a hand on her upper arm briefly.

“Don’t mention it.” Kara smiles shyly, the way she used to do when it was just them and there was a sweet, raw moment and they just both realised how solid they were.

She takes her hand away as Kara spots some people in the crowd close to the stage.

They may not be solid anymore, but maybe they _can_ be normal.

_-pleasecomehomeforchristmas-_

“I swear to God, if I get _one more call_ about frozen toilets, I’ll quit.” James throws his hands up in mockery, laughing. “Seriously, we get these temperatures every damn year and people _still_ can't seem to learn to just boil some water.”

The group around her chuckles along, all a bit tired and all more than a bit drunk.

“I don’t think I told you this - and it might be too much - but do you remember Mrs. Walker called me a couple of weeks ago?” Kara chirps in, talking to the man, but meaning for everyone to hear.

“Isn’t she the one who lives in the middle of the Southern Forest?” Winn provides. Working as an IT for the Police station has its perks, she supposes.

“Exactly. So she calls me early morning this one day, asks if I can come right away. You know, her house isn’t big, but it’s pretty modern, all things considered.” Kara crosses her arms, muscles flexing under the long sleeves of her dress. All at once, Cat misses something she hasn’t in a very long time: being held by them.

“But for some reason, she still has an outdoor bathroom.” Kara continues and Cat averts her eyes, head feeling light. Maybe she shouldn’t have ordered that fourth Whiskey.

“You’re joking.” Lucy frowns.

“Nope.”

“Why? I remember dad talking about building that place, it’s not that old.” Lois, leaning against the bar by Cat’s side, shakes her head.

“I have no idea. She said she prefers it. Anyways, she begins guiding me there, saying that her husband had tried fixing it himself and had just made matters worse.”

“Like usual.” James sighs.

“So we get there, I open the door and believe it or not, the toilet is literally split in half.”

There’s a collective gasp, a few snickering right after, others clearly trying to imagine how such a thing was achieved.

“Hold up, it gets worse.” Alex announces, clearly already familiar with the story.

“So I’m looking over the toilet, right? Trying to see if he’d damaged the pipe or anything when I notice the block of ice that should have been inside the toilet bowl is missing.”

“Oh God.” Lucy covers her face, mortified.

“I start looking around the room just in case and sure enough, right in the opposite corner, behind a splinter of ceramic that had flown off, I find it.”

“Oh God.” Lucy repeats, still hiding behind her hands.

“And let’s just say that the ice wasn’t exactly…. clear.”

“Oh God!” Lucy _and_ Lois groan, followed by all the rest.

Kara and James laugh, undisturbed by the image.

“Handiwork, man, it will blow your mind. Especially in winter.” He sighs, smirk still on his lips. From his place by Kara's side, both across the circle they all form, his eyes set on Cat. “I bet you don’t have to deal with shit like this in the city, Cat. Literally.”

The comment gets a chuckle from everyone, including her.

“Thankfully not.” She nods.

“Just another perk from urban life, uh?” Winn smiles.

“And each one makes me glad I got the hell out of here.” She mentions off-handedly, like a joke, raising her glass for another sip. She regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth.

A wave goes through the group, each and every smile disappearing as they all process what she said.

She really isn’t cut out for normalcy, is she?

Cat glances at Kara, trying to assess how badly she’s fucked up, but the woman clears her throat, changes subject with the extra chirpy tone she tends to use to overcompensate whenever she feels uncomfortable.

Maybe deciding to spare Cat, but probably just trying to relieve their favorite handywoman, everyone goes along with it.

It doesn’t take long for them to fully seem emerged in their conversation again, and, predictably, Kara chooses that point to discreetly make her exit.

Either because of the booze or because she is an idiot, Cat does the same, going after her.

_-pleasecomehomeforchristmas-_

The town is quiet at night, a thin layer of fresh snow covering the streets, no lights cutting through the midnight sky except for the slowly rusting street lamps. Perhaps, if it’d stayed like this during the day, she wouldn’t have left.

(Or, perhaps, that’s exactly why she ran.)

Luckily, the party hall where the fundraiser usually takes place is right in the middle of Commercial Street, so her shouting won’t bother any sleeping citizen.

“Kara, wait!” She switches back and forth between looking down to see where she’s stepping and up to make sure she’s going in the right direction, perilously jogging in her high heels. “Wait!”

She’s too drunk for this. And definitely too cold.

“For fuck’s sake, wait!”

Kara stops so suddenly, turning around at once, that it takes all of Cat’s self control and balance not to crash into her.

“Why? Why should I? When you didn’t bother to wait for me?”

Kara has tears in her eyes and a furiously furrowed brow.

Oh. This is raw. This is angry. This is all unresolved emotions.

“Uh-”

“You know, I have _tried_ to let everything go. I have tried my damn hardest to put it behind me and to just be glad to see you around. Just be happy that you are doing the work I _know_ you love.” She says it all in one breath, gaze intense and directly at Cat. “No, I _am_ happy for you. I really, really am and I thought that we were fine.”

“Kara-”

“But when you say things like _that_ ,” She raises an arm, pointing in the hall’s general direction, “It feels like it was easy for you, like you’re mocking me and mocking my pain.”

“It wasn’t easy, Kara.” Cat cuts in. “In fact, it was the hardest thing I ever did. Harder even than seeing you at my mom’s funeral.” She rolls her shoulder, tightens her jaw, anything to stop the moisture pooling on her eyes. “But I wanted to go. I wanted the job and the busy life and I wanted something other than this backwoods town.”

“And you thought I didn’t?”

“Your whole family is here.”

“So is yours.” Kara snaps.

“Oh, that’s different and you know it.” She bitterly chuckles. “Your family is lovely. You have phenomenal parents, who love you and cherish you, and a sister who knows you inside and out.”

“That’s why I couldn’t leave.” Kara raises her voice, her chin shaking slightly.

“And I couldn’t stay!” Cat matches her tone, takes a step back.

They stop talking for a moment to gather themselves. This has always been their limit, the yelling. From their very first argument, they’d promised themselves they wouldn’t do it. Kara had put her foot down, saying it wasn’t healthy and it was the first time Cat reflected that, actually, it really wasn’t.

So they automatically stop.

“You never even asked.” Kara says, tone much, much lower.

“I already knew the answer.”

“Did you? Really? Because I would have asked you for some time. I would have told you that I needed to do it slowly, but I would have gone with you. Shit, I would even have applied for an intern job with White.”

“Why?” It's all Cat manages to muster, suddenly feeling more stupid than she has her whole life. Had she really thrown it all away without a real reason?

“Because I have a degree in journalism.”

“I know that.”

“And I loved you and you would have been my wife.” Now, Kara whispers. “You left me at the altar, Cat. Literally the biggest cliché there is.”

“I never wanted to leave.” Cat matches her tone another time. When she receives a glare as a reply, she corrects herself. “You. I never wanted to leave _you_.”

Kara’s frown melts a little, her pupils dilating slightly.

“And because of that I didn’t know _how_ to leave you, so I chose the worst possible way to do it.” Stepping forward again, she takes her hands out of her pockets, skin immediately attacked by the chill in the air, but it might be worth it. She reaches out, wraps her fingers around Kara’s lower arms. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Kara. For not telling you sooner, for being a coward.” Cat breathes deeply. She should have said this a long time ago. “And especially for hurting you.”

When Kara nods, Cat wishes she'd pull her hands out of her own pockets as well, letting Cat’s touch slip down so they hold hands. She doesn't, but she doesn't shy away from the touch, either.

“I think- I-” Kara glances at her, nose red, frown almost completely gone. “Thank you.” She sighs.

It feels strangely like the beginning of healing.

_-pleasecomehomeforchristmas-_

It takes them three years. Three years of progressively longer, increasingly less complicated conversations for things to truly start feeling fine again.

Kara goes to see her on public holidays, but sometimes, sometimes Cat goes back to Midvale too. Her dad misses her and she misses the few people she actually likes.

They fight more than once. It’s not a surprise and, truly, not really out of the ordinary, not even when they used to be in a relationship. Cat’s life is different and fast and she loves it, but Kara is settled and solid, which leads to a few problems, so they talk it over and they don’t yell.

It takes their friends a while to forgive her for leaving. Alex in particular has a hard time believing she won't break her sister’s heart again, and no matter how many times both of them vehemently swear they are not getting back together, it is very hard to bullshit Alexandra Danvers.

On the fourth of July of the first year, they are sitting a little apart from the group in Eliza’s backyard. For a moment, there’s only the noise of the fireworks.

“You know, I lied to you.” Kara says, chin against her knees.

“When?”

“After the fundraiser.”

“Oh.” Cat’s heart drops.

“I said I _loved_ you. Like it was in the past.” She risks a glance in her direction. “It isn’t.”

“Oh.” Cat repeats.

Still, it takes them three years. Trust isn’t built out of thin air, not when it has been so severely broken.

But, if they were completely honest, the last six months are a bit of an overkill. They trust each other. They love each other.

They are also trigger shy.

But Kara applies for a job with Perry White and actually gets hired.

It makes her bold.

On Christmas, when she is just about to leave, she hands Cat a gift box. It has bright red snow boots inside.

“You know, just in case you ever want to chase after someone again.” Kara smiles, blushing almost as bright as the shoes.

Leaning over, she kisses Cat’s cheek.

“Merry Christmas.” Kara whispers.

She leaves, the door clicking behind her.

Cat is tired of being a coward.

Hastily putting on the boots, she doesn’t even bother to tie them.

“Hey, wait!” She yells, jogging towards her. It feels like déjà vu, but in the best possible way.

Kara turns around, a relieved look on her face. She chuckles when she notices the laces.

“You're aware that the purpose of those was so you didn't fall over, right?”

“Shut up.” Cat smiles, stopping a few inches away, fingers clutching Kara’s jacket.

Hesitating for a moment, they take each other in, smiling as wide as humanly possible.

“Fuck’s sake, just kiss already!” Lois screams from the door steps, surrounded by all the people Cat loves.

They chuckle, spare their friends a quick glance before turning back to each other and doing just that.

**Author's Note:**

> story title taken from "Please come home for Christmas".


End file.
